Self-insulating connector



1961 F. E. LIVELY 3,011,010

SELF-INSULATING CONNECTOR Filed Oct. 25, 1959 INVENTOR. F. E. Ll VE LYBY W44.- 4? 22/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,011,010 SELF-INSULATINGCONNECTOR Frederick E. Lively, Fairborn, Ohio Filed Oct. 23, 1959, Ser.No. 848,480

4 Claims. (Cl. 17484) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec.266) The invention disclosed herein may be manufactured and used by orfor the United States Government for governmental purposes withoutpayment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a self -insulating connector adapted to beused to splice together two or more electrical wires.

, An object of the present invention is to provide a quick, safe devicefor connecting together two wires or a multiple of wires. I

A further object of the present invention is to eliminate the necessityof soldering the wires and then applying tape or plastic spaghetti forinsulation.

According to the present invention the self-insulating connectorcomprises an elongated metal connector having a solid central middleportion and enlarged end portions with openings therein to receive theuninsulated wire ends, said connector is provided with an elastic insulating covering of rubber tubing of greater length than the connector,said rubber tubing is secured at its midportion to the mid-portion ofsaid connector, a throwaway yoke or clip is positioned over theconnector to hold the rubbertubing axially compressed thus exposingapproximately of the conductor adjacent each end of said yoke or clip.

These and other objects andfeatures of the present invention aredescribed below in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

' FIG. 1 is a side view of the present invention prior to removal of thethrow-away clip;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the present invention 0 with the throwawayclip removed, taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; v

*FIG. 3 is an end view of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings wherein like reference numeralsdesignate like parts and more particularly to FIG. 1 there is shown theself-insulating connector of the present invention generally designated20. The self-insulating connector 20 basically comprises an elongatedmetal connector 22, rubber tubing 24 and a throwaway clip or yoke 26.

The metal connector 22 is provided with a solid central middle portion28 and an opening in each end providing communication with the middleportion terminating in enlarged end portions 30. Said enlarged endportions 30 are provided with both enlarged external and internaldiameters. The elastic insulating rubber tubing 24 is of greater lengththan the metal connector lobe-shaped arms 36 depending therefrom. A slotor opening 38 is disposed in each of said arms extending from a point onthe lower periphery of said lobe-shaped arms to a point approximatelymidway between said lower periphery and said flat top portion 34.

The width of said slot 38 is no greater than the diameter of the metalconnector intermediate its enlarged end portions. The distanceseparating the depending arms 36 of the clip or yoke 26 is approximately/2 the overall length of the metal connector 22. I 1

3,011,010 Patented Nov. 28, 1961 ICC.

In operation the self-insulating electrical connector of the presentinvention initially appears as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 with the elasticrubber tubing 24 held in an axially compressed position on the metalconnector 22 by means of the arms 36 of the yoke or clip 26. The yoke orclip 26 is held firmly on the metal connector 22 by means of a press fitbetween the slot 38 in the slightly resilient arms 36 and saidconnector. When the rubber tubing is thus axially compressedapproximately A of the length of the metal connector will be exposed ateach end. j I

To splice or connect electrical wires the wire or wires 40 are insertedinto the open ends of the elongated metal connector 22 to the extentthat they abut the solid central middle portion of the connector. Themetal connector 22 is then crimped onto the uninsulated ends of theWires by means of a suitable tool at a point 42 intermediate the arms 36of the yoke or clip 26 and the enlarged portion 30 of the metalconnector. The splice is completed and insulated simply by removing thethrowaway clip 26 which permits the rubber tubing 24 to immediatelyexpand to completely cover the connector 22 and the adjacent ends of thewires 40.

It is to be understood that no limiting dimensions have been disclosedin connection with the self-insulating connector of the presentinvention since it can obviously be manufactured and used for connectingor splicing infinite numbers and sizes of wires.

The present invention has been'described in detail above for the purposeof illustration only and is not intended to be limited by thisdescription or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A self-insulating electrical connector of the type describedcomprising an elongated metal connector having a solid central middleportion and enlarged end portions, an insulating cover of elastic rubbertubing of greater length than said metal connector, said rubber tubingbeing secured at its mid-portion to the mid-portion of said metalconnector, a throw-away clip having a flat top portion, a pair of spacedlobe-shaped arms depending from opposite ends of said flat top portion,and means in each of said arms for releasably gripping said metalconnector, said arms being positioned on said metal connector in amanner maintaining said rubber tubing in axial compression between saidarms thus exposing both ends of said metal connector, said throwawayclip adapted to be removed from said metal connector thereby releasingsaid elastic rubber tubing from its axially compressed state andpermitting it to expand out over the ends of said metal connector.

2. A self-insulating electrical connector of the type describedcomprising an elongated metal connector having a solid central middleportion and enlarged end portions, an insulating cover of elastic rubbertubing of greater length than said metal connector, said rubber tubingbeing secured at its mid-portion to the mid-portion of said metalconnector, a throw-away clip having a flat top portion and a pair ofspaced lobe-shaped arms depending from opposite ends thereof, means ineach of said arms for releasably gripping said metal connector, saidarms being positioned on said metal connector maintaining said rubbertubing in axial compression therebetween thus exposing approximately ofsaid metal connector ateach end, said clip being adapted to be removedfrom said metal connector thereby releasing said elastic rubber tubingfrom its axially compressed state and permitting it to expand out overthe ends of said metal connector.

3. A self-insulating connector for joining the uninsulated ends of wirescomprising: an elongated metal connector; means at each end of saidelongated metal connector for receiving the uninsulated ends of wires;an elastic, tubular, insulating member of a length greater than saidelongated connector and surrounding, when axially compressed, at leastthe central portion of said elongated connector; releasable meanspositioned on said elongated connector adjacent said elastic insulatingmember for retaining said elastic insulating member in an axiallycompressed condition thereby exposing the ends of said elongated metalconnector to permit coupling of the Wires to said connector.

4. A self-insulating connector for coupling the uninsulated ends ofwires comprising: an elongated metal connector; openings at each end ofsaid elongated metal connector for receiving the uninsulated ends ofWires; an elastic, tubular insulating member of a length greater thansaid elongated connector and secured thereto, said elastic membersurrounding, when axially compressed, at least the central portion ofsaid elongated connector;

clip means removably secured to said elongated connector adjacent saidelastic insulating member for retaining said elastic insulating memberin an axially compressed condition thus exposing the opposite ends ofsaid elongated connector; said clip being adapted to be removedfromssaid elongated connector thereby releasing said elastic, tubular,insulating member from its compressed state and permitting it to expandout and over the ends of said elongated connector.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

